FFXIV has several. I'll list one that isn't relevant to the plot, so no MSQ spoilers here: The Lv50 quest, 'Corpse Groom'. This sidequest picks up some time after you meet Edda Pureheart early on in the ARR MSQ. One of her former party members, Raiyo Paiyo, gets a letter from her inviting him and his other former teammate, Liavinne, to her upcoming wedding to her fiancee, Avere Truearm in the Tam-tara Deepcroft. There's a couple of problems here: 1. Avere was beheaded in that dungeon before we players went there in the MSQ. 2. Liavinne was killed when the Garlean Empire attacked the Waking Sands right after we defeated Titan. So, this is where we come in. We go back to the Tam-tara Deepcroft which is now overrun with demons and other abominations. We make our way down and fight Avere's head. After the battle is over, we see Edda back away from us in fear, only for her robe to catch fire as she falls to her death. My second example is MSQ-centric, so I will keep spoilers to a bare minimum: "Welcome to Shadowbringers." If you know what this quote means, you know.
XIV has so many examples of practically every genre, I feel like it'd almost be cheating haha! Edda's story is a brilliant one though, especially once you realise that that could easily have been you - they're just another adventuring party with no big deeds to their name, after all! Knowing that Edda's repurposed in PotD is a tragedy all itself, too. Also, rip to that merchant, we hardly knew ye. -Mol
My list from games I’ve completed off of the top of my head 7 - Gelnika / leaving Gelnika and Emerald being outside 8 - Deep Sea Research Center 9 - dungeon where you fight Ark 10 - when Magus sisters chase you! 12 - Nechrol of Nabudis 7 remake - Hojo’s lab
Yeh Oeilvert where you fight Ark in FF9 is an earie place with all those faces and barely functioning holograms for sure. And the Deep Sea Research facility gave me nightmares as a kid - Jack
9:00 - You can save Cid. You need to quickly catch fresh fast-swimming fish - do that and hurry back and he recovers from his illness. He will then send Celes off on his raft.
Sure can! Most people won't know to grab fast-moving fish (and it's kind of a PITA!), though, so the majority of players are going to see the "Cid dies" scene as the default - not to mention the attempted suicide and finding purpose anew is much more impactful than being put on a boat :P -Mol
I’m gonna be honest. This list is lacking alittle on the Horror. So on 4:47, for FF15, Altissia’s portion was more emotional. I can accept that Opinion. But here’s the truth! The Real Horror Show was Chapter 13, Verse 1 - Noctis! In this Chapter, The Unprepared Newbies that played Noctis’ story up to this point, not only lost Prompto, but soon after arriving in The Magiteck Empire of the Niflheim. Snowed In and completely devoid of life, they are ambushed by Niflheim’s Auto defense Systems, kissing the final piece of Noctis’ life (it was the car). All before Noctis is suddenly cut off from his friends! Leaving him alone, as Niflheim’s Magic Canceling Barrier leaves him defenseless…except for the RING his father and Luna gave him! It’s in this chapter that he has to traverse the Empire’s Hallways alone! All as He’s exposed to the Internal horrors that have corrupted the Kingdom’s Infantry, and has to hide from the Now Wild and Out of Control Robot Soldiers that stalk the Halls! It was definitely a moment in gaming that caused a lot of Frustration and Game overs since you had to stealth your way passed So many Enemies! Honestly it caused such a Big Problem that when the Game got updated, it was given an optional pathway, called Verse 2 - Gladio & Ignis! Changing up the pace. To me, doing that did feel like Square was over correcting the issue, but at least it’s an option. Even in Royal Edition! Still, if Ever a new player encounters Chapter 13! They should allow themselves to play through Verse 1! It’s to die for 😂😛
There's definitely more than a single moment in each game! And this list is just an opinion, no single one is better than another. Personally I enjoy horror that takes a while to sink in or hits you after the fact - there's plenty of moments of no return in XV, but realising that Altissia isn't somewhere you can ever go back to again was a sock in the gut for me! Episode Ignis elevated it further, seeing just how frantic everything was before it got demolished. I'd argue that Ep Prompto is more horror-filled than the beginning of Chapter 13 if we're being nitpicky - same overall feeling, same being cut off from your friends, but without the magical ring and the need for a little bit of stealth as you pick up extra weapons and actually learn what the Empire's been doing this entire time. Now if only going from finger-guns to being crucified in Gralea wasn't such a tonal shift and made sense..... :P -Mol
You left out one part. If the player has been paying attention to the in game lore (and especially if they've seen the the additional DLC content, movie and/or anime episodes) then they know the horror of the ring. A ring that slowly drains the life of the King/Queen who wears it. A Ring that Noctis is secretly terrified of having grown up watching it drain his father from the strong confident fighter of his early memories to a frail old man not long for the world in the span of a little over a decade. That right Noctis is force to put on and actually use with no preamble no time to prepare because he is alone truly alone for the first time in his life and that ring he fears and hates is his only means of attack or defense
8:42 if we’re Talking FF6 and genuine Horror. Well there is one Place in the World of Ruin that gives that sort of Creepy feeling! And that’s “Owzer's House” or OWZER’S MANOR! On your Mission to Rescue/Recover your Missing friends and Allies! Little Relm the Magic Painter has been taken in by The Prestigious OWZER! An Artistic Master who’s fallen into a rut, and is in need of new motivation and talent. However, after taking in Relm, they both go missing in the Manor, with House Maids and Butlers fleeing as the House has become haunted by terrors unknown. And upon entering, you immediately feel creeped out in the dark as a Voice tells you to leave…until you turn on the lights! But things get bad as progress as it turns out the Paintings In OWZER’S MANOR have come to Life and are now Hostile Entities! All controlled by the evils of a Demon that has possessed Relm and is making her paint its image into Reality!
To be fair on this list.. Final Fantasy VII original probably has the most horror moments compared to the rest of the series in a particular sense.. Trying to pick one of the most horrific moments of the game is pretty hard.. Out of all the FF games. 7 is pretty much borderline Resident Evil in an FF game along with other types of horror in genre.. If I had to pick a moment of horror in an overall perspective. The Sunken Gelnika [optional dungeon] + The Emerald Weapon and Partially Sephiroth for several reasons. 1. The Submarining Mechanic of the whole game. While it's cool that FF has a Submarine mechanic to make the world bigger and more explorable.. In a world with biological, cosmic, environmental and psychological horrors are par for the course. In a world of unethical practices from Shinra is to be expected.. A giant green mech that is designed to defend the planet that can wipe you out in less than a minute is something unnerving knowing it's swimming around somewhere.. especially where it happens to be waiting in front of an optional endgame dungeon.. 2. A wreckage of a giant VTOL that is supposedly containing Weapons Materia DESIGNED to DESTROY Sephiroth.. Hades being one summon that may as well be a bad breath attack that also may as well be hoping to stop Sephiroth in his tracks, Materia that allows you to attack twice in a go, A final limit break of unhinged aerial bombardment. [Highwind for Cid] and a lot of endgame items that could make up a huge amount of difference. Eldritch Abominations that probably escaped Containment that confused Cloud at first for being a research facility.. Goes without saying that there is no such thing as excessive force to take down Sephiroth: considering it is: the guy who impales Giant Snakes, Got mind control and shapeshifting powers of his clones or anyone that has JENOVA cells that are on the loose, the guy who is not only such a psychotic menace.. Who turns JENOVA's corpse parts to bosses to distract the heroes while he's busy destroying the world and attaining godhood.. But even fighting him directly is tantamount to suicide.. 3. The Turks you encounter don't give it their actual all against you can be led for 3 factors. A. There are eldritch abominations that are running on the loose that seems straight up cosmic horror for some reason to start with so getting exhausted or downright weakened with them on the loose is NOT a good idea.. B. The place is completely underwater so any excessive force from them and the party could flood the whole area and let them loose to the world that could make things so much worse! and C. They know FULL well that they can't take down Sephiroth on their own or with any ordinary weapons either; they learned their lesson on how far dangerous Sephiroth is to deal with back at the Temple of the Ancients with the Black Materia incident. 4. The Overall Threat that Sephiroth is to even Warrant an Aircraft Carrier to possess all kinds of Materia and Weapons to use on him. Comparing Kefka who has obtained Godhood and practically won in his ambitions remaking the world in his perverse image while Sephiroth came by a hairs breath close to winning in wholly damaging the planet... The reason why Sephiroth has earned his recognition as a horrifying Villain wasn't just because of his Strength and Power to destroy an entire solar system as Safer Sephiroth.. or because of what he done in Nibelheim or the level of planning he did on the Temple of Ancients for the Black Materia he was after.. He earned his status for being so huge of a threat that even the company he once worked for had a lot of measures in place specifically tailored to destroy him.. The Mako Cannon at his Northern Crater that could absorb and destroy the entire planet by draining it to shoot at him in full power if that is what it took for them to kill him planet be damned.. Not even the Empire Kefka worked with had that much measures specifically in dealing with the mad clown if he goes out of line or goes insanely destructive with power.. While Kefka is dangerous when not taken seriously because of his dark humour and pretender vibes that his presence commands; Sephiroth is practically straight up dangerous that encountering him is akin to calamitous misfortune.. Tseng was lucky NOT to die to him.. 5. If Sephiroth knew about what he COULD use with that knowledge in REMAKE. ESPECIALLY if he had X2 Cut Materia. While one can argue how much Canon Crossovers has influence on Sephiroth when it comes to being otherworldly powerful... REMAKE canon shows that Sephiroth has learned from his failures especially during Advent Children via unique > time travel > alternate universe part of the Lifestream. Rufus Shinra did somewhat outsmart him in Advent Children in a sense through Kadaj and his other two incarnates. In one of the different possibilities: He could catch wind onto the fact that a sunken air carrier and collect some dangerous Materia to aid further success in his plans. Reno and Rude would be mice trapped for the slaughter if he got there.. Also the idea of Sephiroth doing twice as much within one stroke of his sword is like Tsubame Gaeshi from Fate cept potentially even worse especially if he is so powerful that he got twice the Octaslash; Cloud could not stand much of a chance unless he gets it first in a horrifying scenario.. For a small endgame dungeon. You wouldn't think of much of it at first until you gave it a lot of thought.
You could easily find ten such moments in Final Fantasy XIV. Heck you could probably find ten just in Shadowbringers+Endwalker, and a good few more in the other expansions
Gelnika's a pretty good pick! The fact that it's entirely optional and you have to go searching for it is a huge plus in its creepiness as well. It's the understated horrifying moments that really work for me no matter what game they're in (and there's plenty of them all over the place!) Great list, thanks for sharing! -Mol
@Kurorok611 Thanks for the response :). And yeh FF7 definately got the Horror/Sci-fi world's collide vibe down. It's definately a dark world, which is interesting considering its mainstream appeal - Jack
FFXIV has several. I'll list one that isn't relevant to the plot, so no MSQ spoilers here:
The Lv50 quest, 'Corpse Groom'. This sidequest picks up some time after you meet Edda Pureheart early on in the ARR MSQ. One of her former party members, Raiyo Paiyo, gets a letter from her inviting him and his other former teammate, Liavinne, to her upcoming wedding to her fiancee, Avere Truearm in the Tam-tara Deepcroft. There's a couple of problems here:
1. Avere was beheaded in that dungeon before we players went there in the MSQ.
2. Liavinne was killed when the Garlean Empire attacked the Waking Sands right after we defeated Titan.
So, this is where we come in. We go back to the Tam-tara Deepcroft which is now overrun with demons and other abominations. We make our way down and fight Avere's head. After the battle is over, we see Edda back away from us in fear, only for her robe to catch fire as she falls to her death.
My second example is MSQ-centric, so I will keep spoilers to a bare minimum:
"Welcome to Shadowbringers." If you know what this quote means, you know.
XIV has so many examples of practically every genre, I feel like it'd almost be cheating haha! Edda's story is a brilliant one though, especially once you realise that that could easily have been you - they're just another adventuring party with no big deeds to their name, after all! Knowing that Edda's repurposed in PotD is a tragedy all itself, too.
Also, rip to that merchant, we hardly knew ye.
-Mol
FFXIV has so many horror moments it could fill a list by its own 😆 tesleens transformation most of all
ShB is definitely a beauty of horror! Plenty of great moments scattered around Eorzea -Mol
My list from games I’ve completed off of the top of my head
7 - Gelnika / leaving Gelnika and Emerald being outside
8 - Deep Sea Research Center
9 - dungeon where you fight Ark
10 - when Magus sisters chase you!
12 - Nechrol of Nabudis
7 remake - Hojo’s lab
Yeh Oeilvert where you fight Ark in FF9 is an earie place with all those faces and barely functioning holograms for sure. And the Deep Sea Research facility gave me nightmares as a kid - Jack
9:00 - You can save Cid. You need to quickly catch fresh fast-swimming fish - do that and hurry back and he recovers from his illness. He will then send Celes off on his raft.
Sure can! Most people won't know to grab fast-moving fish (and it's kind of a PITA!), though, so the majority of players are going to see the "Cid dies" scene as the default - not to mention the attempted suicide and finding purpose anew is much more impactful than being put on a boat :P -Mol
Cool new logo :)
@samgrant4827 Good isn't it? ;) - Jack
Great video!
Thanks so much! -Mol
Best FF content in a minute
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed - Jack
I’m gonna be honest. This list is lacking alittle on the Horror.
So on 4:47, for FF15, Altissia’s portion was more emotional. I can accept that Opinion. But here’s the truth! The Real Horror Show was Chapter 13, Verse 1 - Noctis!
In this Chapter, The Unprepared Newbies that played Noctis’ story up to this point, not only lost Prompto, but soon after arriving in The Magiteck Empire of the Niflheim. Snowed In and completely devoid of life, they are ambushed by Niflheim’s Auto defense Systems, kissing the final piece of Noctis’ life (it was the car).
All before Noctis is suddenly cut off from his friends! Leaving him alone, as Niflheim’s Magic Canceling Barrier leaves him defenseless…except for the RING his father and Luna gave him! It’s in this chapter that he has to traverse the Empire’s Hallways alone! All as He’s exposed to the Internal horrors that have corrupted the Kingdom’s Infantry, and has to hide from the Now Wild and Out of Control Robot Soldiers that stalk the Halls!
It was definitely a moment in gaming that caused a lot of Frustration and Game overs since you had to stealth your way passed So many Enemies!
Honestly it caused such a Big Problem that when the Game got updated, it was given an optional pathway, called Verse 2 - Gladio & Ignis! Changing up the pace.
To me, doing that did feel like Square was over correcting the issue, but at least it’s an option. Even in Royal Edition!
Still, if Ever a new player encounters Chapter 13! They should allow themselves to play through Verse 1! It’s to die for 😂😛
There's definitely more than a single moment in each game! And this list is just an opinion, no single one is better than another. Personally I enjoy horror that takes a while to sink in or hits you after the fact - there's plenty of moments of no return in XV, but realising that Altissia isn't somewhere you can ever go back to again was a sock in the gut for me! Episode Ignis elevated it further, seeing just how frantic everything was before it got demolished.
I'd argue that Ep Prompto is more horror-filled than the beginning of Chapter 13 if we're being nitpicky - same overall feeling, same being cut off from your friends, but without the magical ring and the need for a little bit of stealth as you pick up extra weapons and actually learn what the Empire's been doing this entire time. Now if only going from finger-guns to being crucified in Gralea wasn't such a tonal shift and made sense..... :P -Mol
You left out one part. If the player has been paying attention to the in game lore (and especially if they've seen the the additional DLC content, movie and/or anime episodes) then they know the horror of the ring.
A ring that slowly drains the life of the King/Queen who wears it.
A Ring that Noctis is secretly terrified of having grown up watching it drain his father from the strong confident fighter of his early memories to a frail old man not long for the world in the span of a little over a decade.
That right Noctis is force to put on and actually use with no preamble no time to prepare because he is alone truly alone for the first time in his life and that ring he fears and hates is his only means of attack or defense
8:42 if we’re Talking FF6 and genuine Horror.
Well there is one Place in the World of Ruin that gives that sort of Creepy feeling!
And that’s “Owzer's House” or OWZER’S MANOR!
On your Mission to Rescue/Recover your Missing friends and Allies! Little Relm the Magic Painter has been taken in by The Prestigious OWZER! An Artistic Master who’s fallen into a rut, and is in need of new motivation and talent.
However, after taking in Relm, they both go missing in the Manor, with House Maids and Butlers fleeing as the House has become haunted by terrors unknown.
And upon entering, you immediately feel creeped out in the dark as a Voice tells you to leave…until you turn on the lights!
But things get bad as progress as it turns out the Paintings In OWZER’S MANOR have come to Life and are now Hostile Entities! All controlled by the evils of a Demon that has possessed Relm and is making her paint its image into Reality!
To be fair on this list.. Final Fantasy VII original probably has the most horror moments compared to the rest of the series in a particular sense.. Trying to pick one of the most horrific moments of the game is pretty hard.. Out of all the FF games. 7 is pretty much borderline Resident Evil in an FF game along with other types of horror in genre..
If I had to pick a moment of horror in an overall perspective.
The Sunken Gelnika [optional dungeon] + The Emerald Weapon and Partially Sephiroth for several reasons.
1. The Submarining Mechanic of the whole game.
While it's cool that FF has a Submarine mechanic to make the world bigger and more explorable.. In a world with biological, cosmic, environmental and psychological horrors are par for the course. In a world of unethical practices from Shinra is to be expected.. A giant green mech that is designed to defend the planet that can wipe you out in less than a minute is something unnerving knowing it's swimming around somewhere.. especially where it happens to be waiting in front of an optional endgame dungeon..
2. A wreckage of a giant VTOL that is supposedly containing Weapons Materia DESIGNED to DESTROY Sephiroth..
Hades being one summon that may as well be a bad breath attack that also may as well be hoping to stop Sephiroth in his tracks, Materia that allows you to attack twice in a go, A final limit break of unhinged aerial bombardment. [Highwind for Cid] and a lot of endgame items that could make up a huge amount of difference. Eldritch Abominations that probably escaped Containment that confused Cloud at first for being a research facility.. Goes without saying that there is no such thing as excessive force to take down Sephiroth: considering it is: the guy who impales Giant Snakes, Got mind control and shapeshifting powers of his clones or anyone that has JENOVA cells that are on the loose, the guy who is not only such a psychotic menace.. Who turns JENOVA's corpse parts to bosses to distract the heroes while he's busy destroying the world and attaining godhood.. But even fighting him directly is tantamount to suicide..
3. The Turks you encounter don't give it their actual all against you can be led for 3 factors.
A. There are eldritch abominations that are running on the loose that seems straight up cosmic horror for some reason to start with so getting exhausted or downright weakened with them on the loose is NOT a good idea..
B. The place is completely underwater so any excessive force from them and the party could flood the whole area and let them loose to the world that could make things so much worse! and
C. They know FULL well that they can't take down Sephiroth on their own or with any ordinary weapons either; they learned their lesson on how far dangerous Sephiroth is to deal with back at the Temple of the Ancients with the Black Materia incident.
4. The Overall Threat that Sephiroth is to even Warrant an Aircraft Carrier to possess all kinds of Materia and Weapons to use on him.
Comparing Kefka who has obtained Godhood and practically won in his ambitions remaking the world in his perverse image while Sephiroth came by a hairs breath close to winning in wholly damaging the planet... The reason why Sephiroth has earned his recognition as a horrifying Villain wasn't just because of his Strength and Power to destroy an entire solar system as Safer Sephiroth.. or because of what he done in Nibelheim or the level of planning he did on the Temple of Ancients for the Black Materia he was after.. He earned his status for being so huge of a threat that even the company he once worked for had a lot of measures in place specifically tailored to destroy him.. The Mako Cannon at his Northern Crater that could absorb and destroy the entire planet by draining it to shoot at him in full power if that is what it took for them to kill him planet be damned.. Not even the Empire Kefka worked with had that much measures specifically in dealing with the mad clown if he goes out of line or goes insanely destructive with power.. While Kefka is dangerous when not taken seriously because of his dark humour and pretender vibes that his presence commands; Sephiroth is practically straight up dangerous that encountering him is akin to calamitous misfortune.. Tseng was lucky NOT to die to him..
5. If Sephiroth knew about what he COULD use with that knowledge in REMAKE. ESPECIALLY if he had X2 Cut Materia.
While one can argue how much Canon Crossovers has influence on Sephiroth when it comes to being otherworldly powerful... REMAKE canon shows that Sephiroth has learned from his failures especially during Advent Children via unique > time travel > alternate universe part of the Lifestream. Rufus Shinra did somewhat outsmart him in Advent Children in a sense through Kadaj and his other two incarnates. In one of the different possibilities: He could catch wind onto the fact that a sunken air carrier and collect some dangerous Materia to aid further success in his plans. Reno and Rude would be mice trapped for the slaughter if he got there.. Also the idea of Sephiroth doing twice as much within one stroke of his sword is like Tsubame Gaeshi from Fate cept potentially even worse especially if he is so powerful that he got twice the Octaslash; Cloud could not stand much of a chance unless he gets it first in a horrifying scenario..
For a small endgame dungeon. You wouldn't think of much of it at first until you gave it a lot of thought.
You could easily find ten such moments in Final Fantasy XIV. Heck you could probably find ten just in Shadowbringers+Endwalker, and a good few more in the other expansions
Gelnika's a pretty good pick! The fact that it's entirely optional and you have to go searching for it is a huge plus in its creepiness as well. It's the understated horrifying moments that really work for me no matter what game they're in (and there's plenty of them all over the place!) Great list, thanks for sharing! -Mol
@Kurorok611 Thanks for the response :). And yeh FF7 definately got the Horror/Sci-fi world's collide vibe down. It's definately a dark world, which is interesting considering its mainstream appeal - Jack